The Eater Bunny's Wife
by awesomeasusual
Summary: Summary: Maka is feeling down and questioning her parenting skills this Easter holiday, and Daddy!Soul has the ticket to cheer her up.


**A/N**: THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A DRABBLE SOB SOB SOB. ANYWAY FOCUSING NOW this fic was inspired by this (http post/ 46779345236) post and was requested by SoMa artists eisschirmchen and francoisdelabooo. Look at their art, it's magical.

Disclaimer: do not own blah blah blah. OC Lily belongs to hotapplestrider, who lets me borrow her because I can no longer separate her from any of my headcanons. OC Jax is mine, the crazy little tyke. BTW I know math I know ages! There is a reason their oldest child is older than their marriage certificate, it's a headcanon that will explained in a future fic. I don't know why it's relevant to this particular fic but it's been on my mind lately and I had to put it in. Anyway to the story at hand!

* * *

Maka sat up in the middle of her and Soul's bed, hunched over a poster card in her hand. She reread the neat script that went across the small, stiff paper

_My dear Maka, _it read, _I won't be able to make it. It's been so long, I know, but my research has taken an unexpected turn. I can't stand missing another holiday but my work must take precedent. Thank you for the photographs of Lily and Jax- they look so much like you. I can't wait to meet them! Love, Mama_

Maka fought the urge to crumble it up in her hand. She hadn't seen her mother in nearly 14 years. She had been happy when her Mama left, glad she was taking her life in her own hands rather than let her unfaithful husband crush her soul. But Maka had 12 years old and headstrong. Now that Maka was 26, married with kids of her own, and she needed her mama more than ever. But she couldn't have her. These sporadic messages from places she's never heard of were a glowing source of comfort as a child. Now each ravaged her, mocked her, proved to her that she wasn't important enough for her mother to have wanted to return.

Maka was a parent herself, and she couldn't imagine leaving her children for any period of time that was longer than an average mission. Being out of Death City for more than three days put a strain on her heart: Every night, in her hotel room, she would dream of being home, rocking her 19 month old son to sleep, or having a tea party with her five year old daughter Lily, or getting wrapped up in bed sheets with Soul.

But was that right? Did she miss her children the right amount? Did she teach them enough? Spend enough time with them? Bought them enough clothes? Did she read the right books?

She couldn't say for sure. Her mama had those answers, Maka knew.

Maka felt Soul's soul stir about half a second before his strong, tan arms wrapped around her waist.

He pulled her towards himself, so that her back was pressed against his chest, and held her tight. Soul had sat up without her noticing.

"You're thinking very hard there, bookworm. Don't want to blow a brain gasket on Easter." He pressed slow, wet kisses up and down the side of her neck and shoulder.

Maka tried not to lean into his touch. "It's a little early for that, don't you think?"

"Kids asleep," he grunted into her skin, "no time like the present." Maka wriggled away, turning to face him. He let out a huff of disappointment, but looked at her straight on, his red eyes hazy from sleep and their (_momentarily_, Soul thought) paused activities. His white hair pointed in every direction like it did in the mornings before he showered. She handed him her mama's postcard.

His eyes danced quickly over the words. "More research? She's worse than you."

"Soul. She is my mother and I respect her decisions to focus on her research." Maka said feebly. She tried to say it with more conviction, hoping she would be able to convince herself. Soul wasn't fooled.

"Then why do you sound like your kitten died."

Maka rammed an index finger into Soul's ribs.

"OW- WOMAN WHAT THE HELL!" Soul said, gripping his side and keeling over on the bed.

Maka rolled her eyes but grinned. "That was a terrible thing to say. And don't be so dramatic."

"Got you to smile, didn't it?" Soul sat up again, one hand still clutching his side. Despite what she thought, he was going to get a bruise later, he was certain. He handed her the postcard back "What's up?"

Maka frowned again, and looked at the postcard in her hand.

_Lily and Jax- they look so much like you._

"My mother left when I was 12," she began slowly. "She was an amazing mother. She taught me to fight, how to do my own hair, and how to handle my Papa when he got ridiculous." She lifted her gaze to meet Soul's. "But she left before she could teach me how to be a good parent."

Soul narrowed his eyes.

This again.

With every postcard Maka's mother sent came with an influx of insecurities. This time, it was her parenting skills, apparently.

"How am I supposed to know if I'm doing something right? She's not here to guide me or anything: It's so frustrating! I feel like I'm guessing blindly."

Soul had rarely seen Maka so agitated so early in the morning, especially when the agitation wasn't directed at him. Usually it was because he left his socks on the floor the night before. But this time it was her mother. Maka's long blonde hair almost crackled with electricity, her green eyes flared with every word, and her cheeks flushed from the high emotions

It was kind of hot.

He placed a hand on her hip, gently massaging. Maka didn't stop her rant, but slowed down considerably.

"She um…. She was supposed to tell me… how to… do um… stuff…."

Soul smirked and pulled her close, resting his forehead against hers. "_Stuff, _huh? I got some stuff I could teach you…"

Her blood pressure rose at the thought. They had been married for three years now, and neither of their hormones had calmed down in the least. Maka thought back to their teenage years, where they lived together, without children who could walk in on them at any times, the _freedom_ they had…

But she half-heartedly gave Soul a shove. "I'm serious, Soul. I feel like I've missed out..."

She sounded so pathetic, so sad, he wanted to comfort her. Neither had left their childhoods unscathed (he and his perfectionist parents, she and her philandering father and absent mother). But unlike him, she had these moments where it consumed all of her thoughts. She seemed to feel empty without her mother, where he had felt liberated. Soul didn't quite understand the reason for the difference; all her knew was that he had no idea how to make his wife feel better. It was a holiday, after all. They should both feel happy to be with their friends and family, their two children most of all. Her mood could, frankly, spoil it. There had to be a way….

Soul's musings were interrupted when Maka stiffened and said "She's coming." Soul barely had time to pull away from his wife before a tiny, white haired creature threw the bedroom door open, the sudden light burning their retinas, and screeched "IT'S EASTER!" Lily threw herself onto their bed.

Lily landed on her father's lap. Soul cringed as the wind got knocked out of him. Their daughter crawled all over their bed excitedly, exclaiming about her stuffed bunny and all the chocolate she was going to get, and which party dress she was going to wear in her soft, high-pitched voice. Maka attempted to wrangle their oldest child as a shadow appeared in the doorway. The three on the bed stopped.

Looming before them, screw driver in hand, was Jax.

Maka sighed in frustration. "Ugh, how did he get out of his crib? I thought we took away all of his tools?"

Lily giggled and said "He had that one in his diaper. _Ewwwww Jax is icky._"

"Lily, don't call your brother icky." Soul scolded.

"But Daddy he _is _icky." The five year old turned to address her brother. "I wanted a puppy. Puppies aren't icky like you."

"Aw, give a rest, Lil." Turning to Maka, Soul said "I'll go reassemble the crib."

Maka was already up. "Don't bother." She suddenly seemed more distressed than she was a few minutes ago.

Soul held out his hand. "Woah, Maka, what's wrong?"

"Can't you see?" Maka asked, desperately. "We've got one kid calling her brother icky every day," when Soul began to interrupt she said "Soul, she hates him, always has! And Jax is using tools to escape- at a year old! My mama would have known what to do." She pulled Lily off of their bed and led her out of the room. Before he could respond and ease her worry, Maka said, still walking out, "Forget about it. Just get ready to go."

She closed the door and left Soul sitting in partial darkness.

He groaned, dropping his head into his hands and rubbing his face. It was going to be a rough day for all of them if he didn't figure something out quick. Soul lifted his head and let his red gaze wander around the room. _There had to be something, _Soul thought, _can't let her screw today up. It's supposed to be fun, damn it. _

His eyes landed on the stuffed bunny Lily had left behind. She would come crying back for it at any minute. He picked it up, mind whirring. A fluffy bunny for Easter.

Soul knew what he had to do.

Unfortunately, he might never live it down.

He cursed silently, and dug hid cell phone out of the pocket of the jeans he left on the floor the night before. He had a suit to rush order, and a Shinigami to call.

* * *

"Lily, please help your brother get his pants back on." Maka said, holding two wicker baskets in her right arm while balancing a bowl of bow tie pasta in her left arm. They were walking up the long driveway that led to Kid's manor, and Jax had managed to unbutton and push down his own pants. Jax was developing a habit of removing his trousers every time he was out of his parents reach. He was toddling ahead of his mother and sister, his pants trailing from one foot.

"He's just going to take them off again." Lily said logically, sucking on her fifth lollipop that day.

Maka was at her wits end. After Soul ran of the apartment early that day, claiming to have an emergency having to do with Black Star and a blender, Maka was left to get the kids ready for Kid's Easter party on her own. She was trying, and failing, not to fall further into the feeling of abandonment. It was creeping in the back of her brain, preventing her from fully focusing on any task in front of her. She had already put the shirt on Jax backwards, miss tied Lily's braids, and added sugar to the pasta instead of salt. She didn't have time to fix that last error; she hoped no one would notice, or at least not say anything to her face.

The three of them arrived at the manor's door. Lily bounded forward, and knocked on the door seven times.

"Lily…" Maka said warningly.

Lily giggled and said "Uncle Kid comes faster if it's only seven." True to word, the front door was flung open and a flustered Kid in full Shinigami regalia knocked on the door one last time.

"Lily," Kid panted, "I knew it had to be you or Blue Star. Or Black Star"

"Hi Uncle Kid!" said Lily, pushing past him. She ran into the manor and out the back door, to the yard where the party was in full swing.

"Tsubaki's not here yet?" Maka asked, walking in through the door. Jax tripped into the room, his pants twisting around his short legs.

Kid shook his head.

_I hope everyone is ok, _fretted Maka, _that blender thing sounded serious._

Maka handed the pasta bowl to Kid, and kneeled to untangled Jax from his trousers. Before Maka could put them back on him on him, he raced away as fast as his chubby legs could carry him, out the door where his sister had disappeared.

Maka growled. Kid's mask turned so that the eye holes were facing her, and said "No luck with the pants?"

"Nope." She said shortly.

"His er…diaper seems to be assymetrical?"

"No," Maka said, sighing. "That's his screw driver."

Kid decided not to ask. Maka stood and they walked towards the party.

Maka decided to ask.

"Why the full Shinigami gear? I thought you were taking a more casual approach to the job."

"My advisors suggested it for public appearances."

Maka smiled wryly. "Patty likes it, doesn't she?"

"She does seem attracted to the power that it comes with, yes." Kid squirmed uncomfortably. They stepped out of the back door and into the swing of things. There was dozens of children, sons and daughters of meisters, weapons, and Death City's most influential residents. A few of the children were gathered around a costumed entertainer decked out in a bunny suit, complete with cotton tail and pastel vest. The children's parents were flitting around, plates in hand, chatting amiably with each other. Maka spotted Lily and Jax; Lily was holding Jax's basket and directing him to place a plastic egg inside. It was rare that Lily helped her brother, or even looked at him with anything but disdain. Maka had a feeling it was because of the chocolate Lily knew Jax would give to her at the end of the night. She'd let it go for now.

She was too tired.

Tired of feeling like a terrible mother. Tired of dumping all of her insecurities on Soul. Tired of letting her own mother drag her away from her children emotionally.

"Maka!" Maka turned to find Tsubaki waddling up to her, her pregnant belly leading the way. Black Star trailed behind her, one writhing kid in each arm, a third clinging to his back.

"Hi, Tsubaki. You look… huge."

Tsubaki smiled, and patted her belly cheerfully. "Another boy!" Behind her, Black Star collapsed with under the weight of his three sons. He fell face first into the grass, the boys laughter rang through the air. The adults around them looked on, some amused, some scandalized. The entertainer/bunny roared with laughter. He seemed very familiar, the laugh especially… Maka couldn't see his face, the hood of the bunny suit obscured his eyes and nose, and he was too far away to make out any other details. Tsubaki's sons got off of their father and ran to join the other children. Maka watched as Black Star and Tsubaki's second son, Blue Star, made a bee line right for Lily and her brother.

_Glad Soul isn't here to see that. _The entertainer/Bunny seemed to read her thoughts, because he waded through the sea of children around his knees to make his way towards Jax, Lily, and Blue Star, the way Maka thought Soul would.

Maka raised on eyebrow curiously, but returned her gaze to her best friend. Well, her second best friend.

"Where's Soul?" asked Tsubaki, noting the recognizable look on Maka's face. It was her _I'm going to kiss or kill Soul when I find him_ face.

It came flooding back to Maka.

"Wait: Isn't he with you? He told me something about a blender and left the house early this morning."

Tsubaki shook her head worriedly. "We never replaced the blender after last time."

Black Star, who had found a large chocolate egg and was busily unwrapping it, said "The blender found out who it's god was!" He crammed the egg into his giant mouth, chewing vigorously.

Tsubaki gave her husband a tired look. "You had to have surgery, Black Star. I wouldn't call that one a total victory."

Black Star began to argue around the mouthful of chocolate, luckily Kid spoke first.

"There's nothing to worry about; he's over there with Lily."

Maka started. "What?"

"Yes, he got here before everyone else did, with a rather odd request. Odd for him, anyway. See for yourself." Kid pointed in the direction where her children were standing.

The entertainer/bunny was bent low, speaking directly to Blue Star. Lily looked annoyed, and was tugging on the sleeve of the man's suit. Jax lay at the entertainer/bunny's feet, chewing on his shoe laces. The entertainer/bunny noticed Jax when Maka did, and bent to pick the toddler up. When the man straightened, his bunny eared hood fell back.

Soul.

It was Soul.

Soul was dressed in a bunny suit.

Soul.

Cool guy Soul.

Soul, her husband.

That Soul.

Maka's husband Soul was dressed up in a bunny suit with a fluffy tail and bunny ears and a pastel vest.

"Soul?!" Maka screeched. "What the hell?!"

"Maka," Soul said, flushing as red as his eyes. "I can explain."

She crossed her arms, dumbfounded but more irritated than anything else. "Yeah, I should hope so."

Soul placed Jax on the ground, and gestured at his son, daughter, and finally at Maka.

"I did it for you guys."

Maka blinked. "Why would we want you in a bunny suit?"

Soul stuttered, trying to remember his speech. He had written it while waiting for the suit to be dry cleaned, and thrown in away when he had memorized it. But now, under Maka's confused glare, he had forgotten all of it.

Maka was beginning to grow impatient. "Soul," she hissed, "out with it already!"

"Arg, alright, woman, jeez." He'd have to improvise. "Alright…. Um…"

Great start.

Maka tapped her foot impatiently.

"Uh… ok. Look, I dressed up in this stupid bunny suit to show you that… We can do stupid shi- uh… stuff like this and still be better parents than ours were."

Maka stopped tapping her foot. Soul took it as a good sign and continued.

"Maka," Soul said, reaching up with a furry, costumed covered hand to run it up and down her arm. "No parent knows what they're doing. We're going to fuck up no matter what." Soul smiled as Maka scoffed. "It's in the job description. And listen," he leaned in closer to her. "My parents were around all the time before I got to Shibusen. They made me feel like shit for not playing the piano the _right_ way. They compared me to Wes at every turn, and practically kicked me out of the house when they found out I was a weapon." Maka started to interrupt but Soul barreled on. "But after all that I ended up ok. Both of us, you and me, we've had some shit examples. But we've got each other, you know? I think if that's enough for you and me, it'll be enough for Lily and Jax." Soul paused, trying to remember the rest of his speech. Maka looked at him expectantly. "Uh… I think that was it," he said awkwardly. "That's all."

Maka looked taken aback.

Then she started to smile. Then she started to giggle. Then she started to laugh, out right. Soul grinned, happy that the odd end to his speech didn't mess up the overall sentiment.

She seemed to laugh for the longest time, before saying "You idiot," and pulling him in for a kiss. He eagerly returned it, enjoying the feeling of her lips on his, the curve of her waist under his hands. The must have stayed like that for a while, because he dimly heard awkward coughs and wolf whistles from all around them. The only thing that brought him back down to Earth was a familiar hand tugging on his leg. He reluctantly pulled away from Maka and her lips, and looked down at his daughter.

"Daddy," she whined, "Staaahhhppp. You have to help me find chocolate." She held her basket in one hand, her brother's hand in the other. Jax's basket was full to the brim, candy spilling out of the top. Lily's was less than half way full. Soul tried not to look surprised. Maka, who was having less luck controlling her bemused expression, waved a hand at the three of them.

"Go on," she said, "I'll be waiting right here." Soul nodded, scooped Jax back up, and began to lead Lily to where the rest of the children were still hunting eggs. Maka couldn't resist giving Soul's white cotton tail a firm squeeze.

Soul jumped in shock, and looked over his shoulder at her. She smiled wickedly, promises of more pleasing surprises when they were alone lighting up her green eyes. He smiled back, sharp shark teeth flashing in the sunlight.

_The $500 rental fee was _so _worth it, _thought Soul gleefully.

Maka watched her husband and children walk way. Soul's fluffy white ears moved in the light breeze.

He was an amazing husband and father, even if he didn't think so. Who else would risk public humiliation just to see his wife and children smile?

So her mother wasn't there to help her become a good parent.

Soul was.

_If_ _it turns out that I am half the parent Soul is, _Maka thought contentedly, _I think we'll be ok. _


End file.
